The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1887-05-25
FARM TOPICS FOR THE MONTH.
Suggestions to Farmers who Wish to Make
Farming Profitable.

Farming Profitable.
\ distinguished poet has made a Ger
, tain young lady quite famous by having
. her on particular occasion to sing:
ssIf you're waking, call me early, call me-
} early, mother dear;
For I'm to be Queen O May, MOTHER
I'm to be Queen O. the May
There is not much poetry, and even
less romance, about it; but all the same
the farmer has to be called early and tC
stay late at his farm work for the next
three months if he has any hope or ex-
pectation of succeeding at his calling.
We know of no task-master more exact
ing and uncompromising than the aver
age cotton and corn crop. Worked prop
erly and the huSbandman will reap his
reward Just as long as the rainbow hangs
in the heavens or the promise Of seed
time and harvest remain; mismanaged
and poorly executed work, and disap-
pointment and failure are sure to follow.
Early and properly executed work on
the crop, to many people, seems, as far
as all outward appearances go, as being
quite simple and easy, and they put this
down as one of things about farm life
that they are very familiar with, and that
they thoroughly understand.
When to strike, how to strike, and
where to strike is the veni, vidi, vici Of
the farmer, and in our judgment it is the
keystone TO success or Of failure; 1t is
the dividing line between the clodhopper
and the intelligent farmer. You may
well call this month the middle station
in the years work. The crops are all
planted and cultivation is about to begin
if the preparation and planting has been
thoroughly done; then the most trouble
some half of making crop is over with.
The army is in the field; the ammuni-
milton is all distributed; the guns are
unlimbered, and if the General handles
the troops advantageously victory IS as
sured; if he does not, General Green
will possess the land; he Will come, he
will see, and be will conquer.
Suppose you were to see so-called
planter giving one OF his tenants pack
age OF calomel, opium, quinine and a
lancet-the four great agents in physic-
telling him at the same time to so down
and see what he could do for sick
neighbor; if the sick man died, would
you say the medicine failed?
We see, year by year, owners OF the
soil giving men they call tenants land,
mules, ploughs, guano, tools and seeds,
and saying go down into my farm or
plantation, and when l come again nave
my rent ready.
When you consider this matter in
all seriousness and candor, are you sur
prised that the patient-the lands
killed, and this false tenantry system has
ruined thousands and thousands OF acres
of Southern land?
a man who proposed to go to dis
tant State to oversee went to Mr.. Dick
SOC and asked for receipt to farm. He
replied: ''It is hard to transfer knowl-
edge, and much harder to transfer art
and judgment; my plan is to follow the
laws thrt govern the universe. Plants
ID animals, when assisted with art and
Judgment, never will fail. This is the
science OF agriculture. Study bad prac-
tice as well as good, and learn of the
latter the errors, that you may avoid
them. Read books until you become
so perfect in theory and in the use Of
tools and manure that you will have
confidence and the nerve TO act and act
at once-not lose time running about to
your neighbors to see when to do a thing
and how to do it. Do not allow frost or
wet or dry weather to cause you to
doubt or daily. Fortify yourself with
books before you begin; such books as
will teach you everything necessary to
your success, and do not forget that you
can learn something from almost every
profession. Book farming means for
the farmer Just what book learning does
for the lawyer, merchant or physician.
You must read and study, not only agri-
cultural books, but all books that will
apply in any way to that profession.
You need the knowledge of general to
enable you to discipline your aborers to
come to time, to move all at once, to
know when to charge and when to re-
treat. You need the knowledge of a
banker, when your money Is made to
know how to invest it. You want the
knowledge of a bookkeeper, that you
may keep your accounts correctly. In
this many farmers fail; they fool them
selves, not knowing how to keep debtor
and creditor accounts, get in debt and
become bankrupts before they are aware
of it. You must have some knowledge
of mechanics and machinery in order to
use them. If the farmer is Ignorant,
how can he instruct the laborer? You
should have even sufficient knowledge
of law to know how to keep out of the
courts. You should have some knowl-
edge OF commerce and trade, for you
have to buy and sell.
Chow is all this to be acquired? By
reading and hard study, and making an
: application of the knowledge acquired.
knowledge is power in agriculture as
well as other things. And how are you
to get knowledge? Only by reading,
study and application. With knowledge
YOU can use the hand as well as the
tongue more effectively.
t'Ihe three great essentials are: First.
The theory (true plan) Of farming.
Second. The art OF controlling labor and
executing all work to the best advantage
with least labor. Third. Last and best,
success depends on quick perception,
wise Judgment that seldom or never errs.
How is this to be acquired, except by
use of books in conjunction with prac.
tice?
'.In conclusion, to succeed you not
only must be superior to your laborers.
but you must be so far ahead OF them
that they shall know that your plans are